What is catastrophizing? 

Introduced by Albert Ellis, founder of REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy), the term “catastrophize” is also known as “awfulize”. 

Catastrophizing is a type of cognitive distortion in which you end up thinking of the worst possible consequences in any situation. It induces people to jump to the worst case scenarios with limited information regardless of any logical reason to distress themselves. Catastrophizing can look like an individual making a minor mistake at work and wondering if this will reflect badly on their evaluation and they might be fired from the job. It may even look like when an individual is in a relationship and has an argument and is now assured their partner is going to break up with them…Or a person traveling in an airplane is convinced of a crash on some unexpected turbulence….Or a person having one cheat meal thinking they will never be able to lose weight. 

Catastrophizing is often associated with a number of mood and anxiety disorders. It is an associated feature of depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive and panic disorder which are diagnosed on the basis of a wide range of symptoms that causes impaired functioning in life. However, it doesn’t mean only people with diagnosable disorders catastrophize. Anyone can engage in catastrophic thoughts and it does not solely indicate the presence of a mental disorder. Nevertheless, it still has its negative effects and takes a toll on the mental health of people in a number of ways. 

Perceived Magnification of Problems 

It induces anxiety and stress chronically. If catastrophizing becomes a thought pattern individuals will often perceive their problems as magnified and blown out of proportion. Every little or mundane inconvenience will become a serious issue for them causing them to constantly stay in an anxious state of mind. 

Perceived Minimization of Coping Skills

Another feature of catastrophic thoughts is the perceived minimization of coping skills. Individuals who catastrophize misjudge their capabilities to deal with a situation, they underestimate their own abilities and as a result feel anxious and powerless in front of their problems. 

Somatic Complaints 

Constantly staying in a state of anxiety and stress can lead to somatic symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, sweating, confusion, muscle tension and pain etc. 

Anxiety and Depression 

Research indicates catastrophizing is associated with increased low mood and chronic pain as it is characterized by consistent ruminating which is thinking of all the negative emotions and distress caused by a life stressor. In addition to that, studies show catastrophizing regarding sleeplessness causes sleep disturbances and anxiety (Gregory et al, 2010).

How Can I Stop Catastrophizing? 

Actively Respond and Dispute 

Rather than trying to repress the thought or let it overwhelm you, engage in disputing and ask yourself whether the thought I’m having is rational or logical. You can do this as a mental exercise or a written one. For instance, if you failed in an exam instead of thinking “I’m a failure” try not to associate yourself with one thought and find an alternative, more logical thought such as “I failed one exam, I can try again and succeed as I have in the past.”

Sit, Reflect, Find Solutions 

Catastrophic thoughts often make you think you’ll be unable to cope which is why they elicit anxiety and low mood. However, if you reflect and ask yourself what’s the worst that will happen? And if it happens, how will I deal with it? What are the possible solutions? You’ll find you can think of a number of ways to cope with the probable issue.

Seek Professional Help 

If self help isn’t enough, you can take help of a professional therapist to help you deal with your catastrophizing. Cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy are mainstream effective therapies for working on your cognitive distortions. 

An example of decatastrophizing can look like this:

If your long term relationship with your partner ended instead of giving in to your catastrophic thoughts 

“I’m a failure, I’ll always be alone, I’ll never find love,” you can de-catastrophize with logical thoughts such as “we were not compatible to carry a long term relationship.” A breakup does not define me as a person or my success .” “It might take time but I will find the right partner”. 

To conclude, everyone engages in catastrophic thoughts at some point in their lives, it negatively affects your physical and mental health. It is important to learn healthy coping skills that assist you to think rationally and make life much easier. 

References 

Cox A. R. (2021). “It’s all in your head”: Managing catastrophizing before it becomes a catastrophe. Canadian Urological Association journal = Journal de l’Association des urologues du Canada, 15(10), 332. https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.7592

Tsao, J. C., Allen, L. B., Evans, S., Lu, Q., Myers, C. D., & Zeltzer, L. K. (2009). Anxiety sensitivity and catastrophizing: associations with pain and somatization in non-clinical children. Journal of health psychology, 14(8), 1085–1094. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105309342306